The Scriptures tell us
plainly that the conscience of fallen man is “an evil conscience” from
which we must be cleansed by the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:22). The consciences
of lost religious men are “defiled” (Tit. 1:15), so defiled
that they may, in a sense, have a good conscience” while performing
abominable things (John 16:2; Acts 23:1; 26:9; Rom. 9:1). The Apostle Paul,
writing by divine inspiration, tells us that when he was persecuting the
church, wishing himself accursed from Christ, his conscience was bearing him
witness. He was fully convinced that he was doing the right thing.Some are so hardened by free will, works
religion or by ungodly behavior, often by both, that they live with a “seared”
conscience (1 Tim. 4:1-2).

Some
men and women, and even children have consciences which are so cauterized and
hardened that they are past feeling. They have no regard for the rightness or
wrongness of what they say or do. They have no conscience of anything. “Under a
cloak of sanctity they commit the
most shocking impieties” (John Gill). If a person works at it, if he holds down
the truth of God (Rom. 1:18) long enough and persistently enough, he can
cauterize his conscience. You can so sear your conscience, so harden yourself,
that your conscience will excuse your wickedness.

Still, everyone wants to
have a good conscience, a quiet, peaceful conscience. What would you not give
to have a good conscience? -- A conscience which would let you sleep at night?
-- A conscience that would enable you draw near to God with full assurance? --
A conscience which would give you ease, real ease and peace of heart and mind
in the prospect of death, judgment, and eternity?

All the religion and
religious practices, ceremonies, and sacrifices in the world cannot obtain a
good conscience. All the gifts, works of charity and philanthropy imaginable
cannot buy a good conscience. Good works of moral reformation and religious
devotion, no matter how earnest and sincere, can never earn you a good
conscience.

Our consciences demand what
we cannot give. Your conscience and mine demands and can only be satisfied with
perfection. The conscience echoes God’s holy law. Echoing the law, the
conscience demands the same thing God’s law demands. The conscience demand
perfection. It demands and will only accept perfect atonement for sin. It
demands and will only accept perfect righteousness. That perfect atonement and
perfect righteousness is found only in Christ’s obedience and death as our
Substitute (Heb. 10:1-22).

Horatius
Bonar was exactly right when he wrote, “In another's righteousness we stand,
and by another's righteousness we are justified. All accusations against us,
founded upon our unrighteousness, we answer by pointing to the perfection of the
righteousness which covers us from head to foot, in virtue of which we are
unassailable by law as well as shielded from wrath.